Aloha and welcome to a "first timers" guide to travel to and around the
Hawaiian Islands. My family's first Hawaiian vacation took place in
March of 2005, taking us from Medford Oregon to Hawaii's big island and the
cities of Kona, Hilo and all points on the road around Hawaii in including
Kilauea National Park with flowing lava. Kayaking across Kealaukekua Bay
to the Captain Cook monument for fantastic snorkeling and dolphins and toured a
coffee plantation in Kona. We then flew to Honolulu and spent 5
nights in Waikiki. Visited the Polynesian Cultural Center near Oahu's
North Shore which is home to the "Banzaii Pipeline" and world class surfing
competitions .

You'd never know I was a web professional from this site, but I don't care
about that. I'll be organizing my notes below and photographs....someday.
In the meantime I'm just posting stuff before I lose interest.

Key things to note: For many packaged trips are best because you get
the benefit of the travel agency experience. Generally the cost of
making your own trip is comparable to a packaged trip - though an experienced
online travel shopper would probably be able to save 5-10% on an identical trip
with considerable research and bargain hunting.

Generally you should visit more than one island on your first trip. I'm
happy we chose Hawaii ("The Big Island") and Oahu, which is where Honolulu and
Waikiki beach are located and is the place where most tourists are to be found.
The "best island" by most accounts I've heard from very experienced travelers to
the state, is Kauai. For our NEXT trip we'll plan to visit Kauai and
Maui.

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Aston Hotels is excellent intro site with one page about each island
http://www.astonhotels.com/My first
stop was: http://www.gohawaii.com Ordered a vacation planner. 4 wks!
Better to head to a travel agency for some brochures. Combine these with
the excellent "Hawaii Revealed" for big island info.

MFR to SFO would leave MFR about 1:20 to SFO for 5:50 flight to HNL....driving
down will thus add 4 hours each way...get to Hawaii SAME TIME. Save 1000 minus
hotel. Go the DAY BEFORE, visit peeps, Next day setup at La Quinta, Shuttle to
airport, fly. No visits on return trip.

Polly and George: Groceries expensive. 151% of national average per internet

Bill E: Honolai is charming town on Kauii, with Kalalau hike 11 miles as
the definitive Hawaii hike. He'd spend 5 days Hawaii and 7 in Kauii and 1 in
Oahu for a 2 week trip....jump off in Oahu

Aloha pass allows cheap interisland transfers - about 80 - if this is OW it's
about same as I found on Orbitz with 175 RT ITO to HNL

No rental car in Honolulu
Very true, in fact you don't want one!!! Hard finding parking. If you want to go
around the island, which is nice drive, rent one for the day. Pick it up in the
morning and return it in the evening. The bus system in Honolulu is fantastic
and there are shuttles to other places. We have taken the bus out to see the
Pearl Harbor Memorial....By the way, while there, the Missouri tour is
fantastic. I enjoyed it more than the Memorial.

Lily Package: 4824
11 nights (saved her 240)
7 day car (saved her 60?)
Insurance (+cost her 100)
n
Orbitz had the MFR KOA HNL MFR for these dates at $802 using 5am NW flight $848
on the 7:20am or 5:54 FLIGHT on United

Better dates and times and personal service were worth the $200 extra?

Hotels.com appeared to have the hotel for cheaper tho hard to tell -

Orbitz SFO:

March 2 - just before rush...320 rates......up to 412.....up to 600 over main
easter week.

Learning Curve:

Island to island?! No boats - only via flights on aloha or others. Rates from
MFR were high. Cheaper was MFR to SFO, then sfo to HNL seems MUCH cheapter than
others.
Car? Not needed in HONOLULU?, important on hawaii Hotels: not clear but 100 per
night seems to provide good one. the 600 room one near the big market at Waiki
is top so far for cheap but nice and interesting. Pool on roof.

How is Hawaii perceived by visitors? First at the "Hawaii Experience" level e.g.
tropical breezes. Second as ISLANDS - people like Maui for snorkels, Hawaii for
, Kauii for unspoiled beauty, etc.... But it's the NEXT level that would be of
web interest. Beaches? Activities? Golf? Probably all those. thematic vs
geographic cuz you can get anywhere quickly. Hilo vs Kona vs Volcanoville...

We've learned that with a week we should spend at least a night, probably two,
at Volcano and Hilo side.
BUT hotels have free night specials that are messing with this issue...
Questions: Getting to Hilo from Kona -can we in a day? Driving is OK but break
it up with beaches?

Barbara comes through with 2 nights at Hawaii Hilo, preserved our free night at
Kona (cool!) and 55 less on the big package....wow

---- From Hawaiitravelbureau.com (i think it's NOT official site)
Volcano House's own restaurant, Ka Ohelo Dining Room, may be the world's only
restaurant overlooking an active volcano! The view of crater is unbelieavable
and will make your dining experience a real pleasure. The food served is
traditional American and Continental, priced very reasonably.

* Crater Rim Drive
This 11-mile drive circles Kilauea's summit caldera and craters, passes through
rainforest and desert, and takes you to well-marked scenic stops and short
walks. You will see sulphur banks, steam vents, pit craters, recent lava flows,
and a walk-through lava tube. A "must" stop is the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum,
located at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. It exhibits the resuts of
scientific studies of Kilauea.

* Chain of Craters Road
This 40-mile drives takes about 3 hours from Kilauea Visitor Center. You will
cross lava flows that came from Mauna Ulu ("Growing Mountain") from 1969 to 1974
and see short sections of the old roa not covered by the flows. You can hike to
the Pu'u Loa Petroglyph Area. You will marvel at the rugged seacoast with its
occasional sea arch, see the island's newest black sand beaches scattered along
the coast, and stop where the current eruption has effectively blocked the road.
Nearly 9 miles of the road east of this point have been covered since 1986. Just
beyong this point, approximately 4 miles away, is the site of the Waha'ula Heiau
(ancient temple), covered by lava in August 1997.

* Trails
There are more than 150 of trails in the park. If you have only one day to
explore, we highly recommend Kilauea Iki Trail, a 4-mile (2-hour) hike,
descending 400 feet through native rainforest into a crater and across lava
flows still streaming from the 1959 eruption.

Polly and George: Luaus everwhere, best on Kauii "Cooks? Poly center 3 days for
same price, north shore is surfing. Eat at BYU Hawaii which is near the Poly CC
and north shore area? They say rent a car for Oahu.

Miramar: Rental car cheaper than Shuttle = 4x $8?...Does the hotel have shuttle
service? – YES per voucher. Website says catch a Waikiki/Airport shuttle or
taxicab right outside of the baggage claim area. The cost for shuttle service is
about $8.00 one-way.
The cost for taxi fare is about $25 one-way.
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Before I moved to Hawaii I took a day trip to Hilo to see what I could find. The
drive to the falls is out of the way and you can feel like you are going to the
middle of nowhere. On the road to the Falls is a quaint little town that you
should save time to stop in on the way back from the falls.

When you pull into the parking lot you have no idea what is in store for you
after a short steep hike. The trail is a circle trail and it is clearly marked
that one direction is much more difficult than the other. You would be very wise
to follow the easy trail.

Lock your car, take your camera, and follow the trail to my fovorite spot in the
world. I can still remember the waves of peace and contentment that came over me
as I viewed the falls for the first time. I felt like I had found the womb of
paradise and I settled in to regenerate my spirit. The vision of the falls
haunts my mind and I plan to visit it often now that I reside in Hawaii.

Remember to stop and enjoy a bowl of ice crean and shave ice on the way back.
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Finding Hawai`i Volcanoes
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is located on the Big Island of Hawai`i. From
Hilo: 30 miles southwest on Highway 11 (a 45 minute drive); from Kailua-Kona: 96
miles southeast on Highway 11 (2 to 2 1/2 hour drive), or 125 miles through
Waimea and Hilo via highways 19 and 11 (2 1/2 to 3 hours).

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We are here! Finally relaxing on 3rd day. Kona to Hilo drive at night was just
under 2 hours. Hilo neat, park area neat. Uncle billy's between big hotels. Hilo
Hawaiin seemed to be 2nd fanciest with (nanui) just past Uncle Billies as the
fanciest. Recommend more hawaii home town places? Trip to Kiluaea great but
missed hot lava - will hopefully return for this myself.....PUNA was highlight
of that side of island - first to hot spring aHANI. Mostly natives hanging
around the warm pool - interesting more than great swimming. Pretty beach right
over the lava knoll.....small inlet splashes water in from sea. Nice talk with
Waipio valley lady who walked on lava, etc. drove to Verna's for Oni plate, out
to black sand, coconuts for cancer lady, devastation of lava that killed the
beach and town in 1990, etc. Very hawaiian feeling over there.

Back to Kona area via Akaka and Kahuna falls. At end hippy lady selling block
art - odd. Nice but missable. Tiny japanese feeling town Hunaloa? interesting
but did not stop there.

Keauhou resort. fancy, nice OK, better rooms are UP on north side. probably 4th
floor or more fine... we were in 239 with ugly roof view tho some ocean , then
635 with GREAT view of Kona coast...

To Puo hu nau nau NHP - great, interesting, 30 minutes only needed for fine
intro to Kapu system and refuge. Next door is good snorkeling at beach but watch
for urchins and .... put in at only the one spot said local but I think around
the boat area is best. Saw many turtles here close up plus many fish....

GREENVIEW Coffee tour - fantastic. Avocado, Bannana, oranges, great samples,
tour. 100 year old coffee trees. Kona on slopes of volcano - only a small
microclimate. 300k pounds processed? 20percent of all Kona is them but under
diff labels. 100k from that farm? .40 per pound to pickers, 1.35 purchasing from
other farms....

For the Eruption Update recorded message, phone (808) 985-6000 and press 1 for
eruption update. This message is recorded at about 8:00 p.m. Hawai`i time when
the park rangers return from their shift at the lava flow. Incorporate this text
box into my own page? Or just link within a frame to park info. There's so much
junk a framed approach may be best for Hawaii first time web.

Thrifty in Keauhou as cheap source of many items. Wal Mart for Souvenirs. Hilo
Hatties fun but more than Wal Mart but not by much.

DON'T bring food - just buy it at thrifty and safeway, etc.

LAVA. Hard hike as of March 2005, but worth it. Alternatives (use Parks 3 things
- easy, walk a bit, walk a LOT. The view of the bay was OK from the end of road
after the short walk IF you have binocs - park had set up scope. Walking there
was worth if for me.

Night lava?

HAUNAMA bay, OAHU: is THE BEST protected cove if you are new to scuba diving or
snorkeling with a diverse population of marine life and a large, rich coral
reef. Advanced snorkelers and divers can also enjoy the beauty of this bay as
the reef extends throughout the cove into deeper water. The bay floor is
actually the crater of an ancient volcano that flooded when the exterior wall
collapsed and the ocean rushed in.

To return, board 20 or 42 Waikiki Beach and Hotels. You could also board 40, 40A
or 62 Honolulu-Ala Moana and transfer to 8, 19 or 20 Waikiki Beach and Hotels on
Kona Street in Ala Moana Center. Buses to Pearl Harbor run between 10 to 20
minutes apart.

Approximate travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes.

Hanauma Bay Link to Destination
Bus to Board:

* 22 Hawaii Kai-Sea Life Park

On Kuhio Avenue in the Diamond Head direction, board the 22 Hawaii Kai-Sea Life
Park and ride to Hanauma Bay.

Bus to Return:

* 22 Waikiki Beach and Hotels

To return, board the 22 Waikiki Beach and Hotels bus. The 22 runs once an hour
on weekdays, twice an hour on weekends.

Approximate travel time is 40 minutes.

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Japan - what a great culture polite. Miramar tourists seem to be about 1/2 from
Japan - japanese writing, rest. everywhere here in Waikiki. Some locals but I
think this is tourism central for middle class america and (upper class?) japan.

The japan/US continuum in WWII is very interesting and sociologically profound.
Again, losing to USA is teh BEST thing that can happen to you. (Write op ed to
Iraq - "Dudes, you are blowing your chance!"

Oahu busses even go to PCC - 2 hrs vs about 1 hr 15? via the PCC shuttle for 15.
But if you take the bus you can get off at the North shore and watch surfing for
awhile....use the busses as your tours...

Pali is so. of Hono, about ... via bus. Use this link to bus schedules for
attraactions: http://www.thebus.org/Pop/attracti.asp

Wed morning and we are prep to go to PCC and wind up the trip tomorrow. I'm not
exactly understanding my feelings about the trip - I think it's a combination of
the challenges of family travel combined with slightly less than expected
quality of hotels, service, scenery, culture. In fact it may explain why people
choose the fake Kohala resorts over the real Kona cityscape - they are steeped
in more of the regal traditions of hospitality, fanfare, and luxury rather than
the real cultural traditions of poverty and fast food.

Big favorable memories are the drop off to 100' deptch or so around Cpt Cook
kayak inlet - suddenly I "got" why snorkeling is neat tho gear was not working
well (Ben broke both snorkels in 30 secs but we refashioned one out of 2 and I
used Julia's. Julia's fear of urchins kept her from enjoying cooks swimming but
she liked Kayaking and we DID see dolphins albeit briefly.

went to eat poo but it was not yummy, ben biught a set if samurai daisho letter
openers from the international marketplace

Intl Marketplace: Rumor was that it may close soon to m It's a very neat place
with cheap junky souvenirs for sale, fun fast ethnic food, occasional shows,
pearls in Oysters,

Waikiki appears to be basically the 2 mile beach, fancy beachfront hotels,
modest to fancy hotels in a few streets. At night the beach is quiet and dark
but the 2 streets out from Beach, Ahi? and Kuhio? come alive with street
performers, shopping, and tens of thousands of visitors.

Top of Waikiki was a very nice experience deserts were VERY pretty and served
nicely. Go to top level for coffee and desert and rotate once around or perhaps
better is lunch with the daylight view. 18th floor observation deck. Good FIRST
thing to do in Waikiki. Glass elevators at Miramar, ....

What's a Luau?
What's Hawaii?
What is snorkeling?

Timeshare?

TWO ways to spend your $10,000 (Actually use the 30k Mary told us for the NICER
place).

Give to Timeshare people along with maintenance fee of 300 annual and you can
pend 3.5 days per year in nice room on Maui.
Your 10k investment has reduced your room cost to $300 per year.
After 10 years your 10k investment will be worth....(see historicals).

Invest your 10k at 6%. 600 per year. This will pay for 3.5 nice room days. Cost
ZERO.
After 10 years your 10k is worth...10k